Government survey looks at staff tech confidence

The Government’s Technology in Schools Survey 2024-2025 looks at a wide range of technology elements in England’s schools, and among them, how confident and prepared teachers and other staff feel using it.

As part of its technology survey, the Government investigated how confident staff feel with the technology they are required to use in their roles.

Training

Despite widespread use of digital tools in schools, provision and uptake of training have fallen slightly. In 2025, 64% of teachers said they had undertaken training on education technology in the past year, down from 70% in 2023. The most popular topics included online safeguarding, new software/platforms and AI – but at the other end of the scale, training for pedagogy improvement, hardware or accessibility features was less common.

Most staff who had undertaken training reported having already applied what they learned: over four-fifths had applied training on pupil safety, new software or hardware, and around three-quarters had applied training intended to improve learning outcomes or to use accessibility features. For AI, 68% of teachers who trained said they had already used it in their teaching practice, with a further 24% saying they planned to do so.

Cyber-security training increasing

The survey also reveals a positive shift in cyber-security awareness and the survey found that 85% of school leaders said their institution had offered cyber-security training in the last twelve months. This is a significant increase from 73% in 2023.

However, smaller primary schools were less likely to have provided such training, and some of these schools still don’t have comprehensive security routines in place.

Staff tech confidence is important

Staff confidence and training in technology use are central to ensuring meaningful use of digital tools in the classroom. However, the reduction in confidence and training uptake suggests a need for further professional development.

As technologies evolve, the demand for ongoing training is only going to grow. If schools can equip staff to use technology thoughtfully, it will ensure that it is applied in the right manner and not simply for its own sake.

Read the full survey here